The average poker beginner simply starts out at a low limit they’re comfortable with and tries to work their way up from that point. And this is fine since it’s definitely good to start out playing low stakes until you truly have a good feel for the game. However, most people don’t ever do any serious math when determining where they should be playing as they get more experienced with poker.
But poker players really need to be concerned with where they should seriously be playing at and the best way to do this is by using bankroll as a measure. By using bankroll as the measuring stick, you’ll not only have a good idea of where you should be playing at skill wise, but you’ll also know how much money you can afford to play with in case you start losing and need to absorb that rough period.
Most experts contend that you’ll need a minimum of 100 times the big blind, if not 200 times the big blind to seriously consider playing at a certain limit. This is especially important in No Limit games since you want to be playing from a position of power instead of in a spot where you’re worrying about making solid plays because the pot is too large.
Another thing to keep in mind with the whole bankroll concept is that you shouldn’t use your whole bankroll as a measure of what limit you want to be playing at. In fact, you’ll want to set aside a certain amount of money that you won’t be taking to the table in case you really get beaten up at the table one day. This way you ensure that your poker playing days aren’t ended because you decided to take the whole bankroll to the table.